This present invention relates to a snowshoe construction and, more particularly, to a lightweight snowshoe providing a user with enhanced maneuverability.
Because in the past snowshoes have been awkward to use, many design changes to the basic construction have been proposed. Much of the recent effort has been devoted to designing binding arrangements and their securance to the remainder of the snowshoe in such a way as to accommodate the natural stride of an individual, such as by allowing the foot to cant behind the user without the snowshoe itself leaving the ground. In other words, many relatively modern snowshoe designs include an articulating hinge rod or the like to allow the toe of a user to grip the snow (typically with the aid of a crampon) while the heel lifts up from the snowshoe. Examples of this type of shoe construction can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,517,772 and 5,787,612.
This approach, as well as other approaches, have not resulted in a snowshoe which is commercially acceptable for certain uses.